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No. 620,997. Patented Mar. I4, I899.

W. B. VANDERBILT.

DRIVING REIN HOLDER.

(Application filed June 13, 189?.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM B. VANDERBILT, OFWVASHINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

DRIVI NG-REIN HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,997, dated March 14, 1899.

I Application filed June 13, 1898. Serial No. 688,378. (No model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. VANDER- IBILT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the county of Warren and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Driving-Rein Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rein-holder devices attached to the dashboards of vehicles for holding the drivingreins when not in use by the driver.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a means for easily and quickly attaching and detaching the rein-holder device to and from the dashboard; second, to securely hold each rein-right and leftindependently of and at a distance from the other, thereby preventing them from becoming crossed, twisted, or otherwise disarranged, while at the same time in convenient position to be released and used by the driver, and, third, to avoid defacement or injury of the dashboard by the attachment, detachment, or contact of the rein-holder. I attain these objects by the rein-holder device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-=- Figure 1 is a front view of the rein-holder;

Fig. 2, a sectional top view taken at the line F F, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a back view, and Fig. 4,

an end view, of the rein-holder. The draw ings throughout are on a scale of about onefourth actual size.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the several views.

The rein-holder is constructed of metal, a thin strip of felt or other cloth material covering those parts which would otherwise come into contact with the dashboard.

The rein-holder consists of the horizontal piece D, the upright supports 0 O, terminating at their upper ends in the curved dashboard-grips B B, the rein-grips A A, the rivets G G, and the felt or other cloth material E E.

The grips A A and B B are springs, the closed or natural shapes and positions of which are indicated, respectively, by A A, Fig. 2, and B, Fig. 4. These springs are constructed of steel or other metal suitable for the purpose and are of sufficient strength and elasticity to properly perform their respective requirements, as hereinafter specified.

The rein-holder is attached to the dashboard of a vehicle in the following manner: The spring dashboard-grips B B are held open apart from the upright supports 0 O, as indicated by the broken line, Fig. 4, and then forced down over the top part of the clashboard, all parts of the rein-holder, excepting the spring-grips B B, being on the side of the dashboard toward the interior of the vehicle. The spring-grips B B are then released and immediately they press with sufficient force against the dashboard, and in opposition to the other parts of the rein-holder on the other side of the dashboard, to hold the rein-holder firmly and securely attached to and in contact with the dashboard.

It is understood that the upright supports 0 0 may be shaped toconform with the requirements of the dashboard to which the rein-holder is attached.

To detach the rein-holder from the dashboard, the grips B B are held open, so as not to be in contact with the dashboard, and the rein-holder then raised until free.

The drivingweins when not in use are held securely in a manner and position convenient for immediate release and use by the driver by means of the spring rein-grips A A, one at the right for the right-hand rein and one at the left for the left-hand rein. To secure the reins, the opposite sides of each of the spring rein-grips A A are forced apart sufficiently to admit the rein by firmly pressing the rein edgewise between the two sides of the grips. The force exerted by the springs to regain their natural position holds the reins securely.

The reinsare released by a reversal of the process by which they are secured-that is, by drawing firmly on the reins and forcing them from the graspof the rein-grips A A.

To the parts of the rein-holder coming in contact with the dashboardnamely,the back parts of the horizontal piece D, and the up- 9 right supports 0 O, and the inside of the springs B Bis attached a thin strip of felt or other cloth material E E, which prevents defacement or injury of the dashboard.

The upright supports 0 C and the spring rein-grips A A are attached to the horizontal ends and terminatingin spring-olamps,\vl1erepiece D by means of the rivets G G. by the holder is readily removed from the 10 Having described my invention, What I dashboard and easily attached thereto bythe claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters spring-clamps, as set forth.

7 5 Patent, is-- WILLIAM B. VANDERBILT.

A rein-holder consisting of a removable Witnesses: transverse bar havingaspring-oluteh at each LYNDON R. CARHART,

end thereofland supports extending from said HARRY WV. DILDINE. 

